The Young People’s Concert series put on by our Wichita Symphony Orchestra featured Billy and the Carnival this fall. I had never heard the piece before, but it’s a wonderful, fun musical work! Here’s an excerpt from the concert this morning:
Watch The Cliburn: 50 Years of Gold
One of the first classical music CDs I fell in love with was the album The World’s Favorite Piano Music by Van Cliburn. Ever since then I’ve had a special place in my heart for his music and other musical endeavors. I was excited to learn the other day that there is a documentary of […]
Got Music Apps?
Are you trying to keep up with the mobile technology age, but drowning in the virtual sea of all-things-apps? I’m raising my hand! Well, now you can cast your fears aside because there is a fabulous website that promises to be a sanity-preserver for teachers like us: Musicians With Apps. All the apps are organized […]
Monday Mailbag – Teaching Reading and Rhythm Skills to Students Who Already Play at an Intermediate Level
What kind of approach do you use for older transfer students who have trouble with reading and rhythm, without hurting their self-esteem or making them feel incompetent? I have one 12-year old transfer student who had been taught how to play the piano by rote, though he plays at an intermediate level. I was surprised […]
I Passed the Good Teacher Test…
Last year some of you may remember that I reviewed a piece by Wendy Stevens called Tangy Tango and royally bombed as a teacher in preparing my student to play it well. Ever since then, I’ve been determined to try again with a another student to see if I could pass my own self-imposed good-teacher-or-bad-teacher […]
It’s Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas
It’s that time of year again when I empty my Christmas music file drawer and spend hours trying to find just the right piece of repertoire for every student. I really enjoy the challenge of considering what each student will enjoy the most and trying to create an interesting program for all those attending. The […]
